New York – Chai Lifeline MASK, Seminars Tonight in Response to Tragedy

New York – In response to last week’s gruesome murder in Borough Park, Chai Lifeline in conjunction with MASK will be holding a series of symposia this week in an effort to help the Jewish community cope with its grief and offer practical safety advice for the future.

Chai Lifeline has fielded well over 1500 phone calls since the tragedy struck, according to Executive Director Rabbi Simcha Scholar, who estimates that with conference calls and video feeds, over 40,000 people have turned to Chai Lifeline for support in the past week.

“This is a national tragedy,” said Rabbi Scholar in an interview with VIN News. “We are getting requests for intervention from all over the country. People need direction in speaking to their children, they need to understand how to go forward and how to live a safe life in a safe world, in addition to needing chizuk to be able to withstand this terrible tragedy.”

Three seminars will be conducted tonight in Boro Park, Flatbush and Teaneck.

The Boro Park symposium, to be held at Yeled V’Yalda at 1257 38th Street at 8:30 PM, will feature Divrei Chizuk by the Kosover Rebbe, and Harav Yechiel Meir Katz of Montreal, to be followed by Rabbi Yaakov Dovid Klar who will speak about coping with trauma, Director of Outreach at Chai Lifeline’s Project CHAI and a special safety message from the NYPD.

The Flatbush symposium, at the Young Israel of Flatbush, 1012 Avenue I at 8:30 PM, will feature Divrei Chizuk by R’ Moshe Tuviah Lieff, Dr. Norman Blumenthal, Director Of Chai Lifeline’s Project CHAI who will discuss techniques for coping with tragedy for both adults and children and Dr. David Pelcovitz, Professor of Psychology and Education at the Azrieli Graduate School of Yeshiva University who will address children’s safety issues for the future.

The Teaneck symposium, which will take place at the Young Israel of Teaneck, 868 Perry Lane at 7:45 PM, will feature an introduction by Elie Katz and Yitz Stern, a special address by Teaneck Mayor Mohammed Hameeduddin and Police Chief Robert Wilson, to be followed by world renowned psychologist and noted trauma expert Rabbi Dr. David Fox of Beverly Hills, California, who will discuss coping techniques for both adults and children.

All seminars will be followed by question and answer sessions.

Chai Lifeline will carry a live video feed of tonight’s Flatbush symposium at www.chailifeline.org/boroparktragedy. Additionally the Chazak hotline will carry an audio feed of the Flatbush symposium at 718-25 8-2008/9/9, while Kol Mevaser will feature the Boro Park symposium at 212-444-1100 2/2.

Two additional seminars will be held on Wednesday night in the Five Towns and in the Catskills.

The Five Towns symposium, which will be held at the White Shul, 728 Empire Avenue at 8:00 PM, will feature Divrei Chizuk by Rabbi Eitan Feiner to be followed by Dr. Norman Blumenthal and Dr. David Pelcovitz who will reprise their remarks from the Flatbush seminar on coping with tragedy and children’s safety measures.

The Catskills symposium will be held at Twin Oaks in South Fallsburg. More details will be forthcoming on this event.